A leading expert says that we’re losing the war against SARS-CoV-2 as the numbers of new cases skyrocket in America.

Dr. Mark Kortepeter, who has been active in combating many epidemics, says the reason is simple. We’re not taking it seriously and taking responsibility for personal protection. He warned the public back in February that “the virus is unforgiving and there is no room for error in use of personal protective equipment and hand hygiene.”

According to Forbes, Kortepeter said that the states that ignored the viral enemy or opened too aggressively are now paying the price with unbridled transmission of COVID-19. The states that were initially hit hard in the northeast and exercised caution have seen their numbers decline or stabilize.

He said that although the number of deaths has declined, as the cases surge, we will see an increase in deaths in the near future. In his opinion piece for Forbes, Kortepeter explained that the virus follows one rule: to highjack your cells and reproduce.

“It does not discriminate in who it infects,” he said, adding that if we let up on the brakes and stop taking necessary personal precautions, the “virus will take advantage of any opening you give it.”

In a previous article the expert wrote for Forbes, he described how infections spread. One of the key ingredients for an outbreak is human nature, he said. “We give the virus opportunities to spread during interactions with other people,” he said.

Reducing the spread boils down to following a basic principle that no activity is a safe one while some carry a higher risk than others. Engaging in indoor activities, not wearing a mask, being in a crowd are activities that have higher risks of infection than exercising by yourself outdoors, social distancing and limiting the number of people with whom you have direct contact. Wearing a mask also lowers your risk.

A recent study published in The Lancet showed the efficacy of physical distancing and the wearing of masks to reduce transmission of SARs-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Without any protective measures, researchers found that viral transmission was 17.4%. Add a mask or respirator, and that number dropped to 3.1%. When people were less than one meter, about 3 feet, apart, the transmission risk was 12.8%. With more than a meter of distance, it fell to 2.6%

Kortepeter concluded that if we don’t become proactive, the virus will win.

“Everyone can do their part to make a difference by acknowledging their risk and taking measures to reduce that risk,” he said.